Young cocoa farmers form association in Western Region
Five thousand young cocoa farmers in two districts and a municipality in the Western Region have come together to form an association.
The Akuafo Anigye Young Cocoa Farmers Association is to bring all young cocoa farmers under one umbrella with the primary responsibility to resuscitate and preserve the once vibrant cocoa industry, facilitate effective communication among members, as well as imbibe in them the spirit of hardwork and good agronomic practices.
It is also to encourage the youth from Ellembelle, Jomoro and Nzema East to take advantage of the many opportunities the cocoa industry offer, initiate additional livelihood programmes such as livestock production and ensure elimination of worse forms of child labour.
Ageing farmers
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony at Anyinase, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), said research had confirmed that most of the county's cocoa farmers were aging, with some of them over 55 years.
"This aging-cocoa-farmer syndrome has serious implications on the sustainability of cocoa production in Ghana and this obviously requires drastic action and intervention, hence the campaign to encourage the youth to channel their energies into cocoa farming to become the next generation of cocoa farmers in Ghana," he suggested.
Dr Opuni observed that the inauguration of the association marked another milestone in COCOBOD's commitment to encourage the youth to take up cocoa farming as a lucrative venture.
Producer price/ hybrid cocoa seedlings
He said cocoa farming had become an economically viable venture in recent times, explaining that the upward reviews of the cocoa producer price by over 62.7 per cent and the upfront payment of bonuses, had increased the disposable incomes of farmers to a very large extent.
He announced that COCOBOD had successfully raised 50 million high yielding, early bearing and disease tolerant hybrid cocoa seedlings and pods to support cocoa production.
Chairman
The Chairman of the association, Mr Evans Tagbor, explained that cocoa farming was a lucrative business not meant for only illiterates as perceived by many, but rather a business that young educated graduates could also venture into.
He pledged the support of the association to any unemployed young educated or uneducated person who would like to enter into what he described as the “hidden prosperous industry” not to hesitate to do so.
A seven-member executive was sworn into office by Dr Francis Kofi Oppong, the Deputy CEO in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control.
